1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a patient isolation unit for temporarily isolating a patient with contagia such as tubercle bacilli for having treatment. More particularly, the present invention relates to an economical patient isolation unit of the kind mentioned which eliminates the need to discard filter means every time an envelope is discarded after completed use of the isolation unit and which can be easily transported and stored in a smaller space.
2. Discussion of Background
In recent years, in-hospital infection caused, for example, by bacilli from tuberculous patients has been a major problem. It is desirable in some cases that patients with such contagia should be temporarily isolated for having treatment.
Under such circumstances, a variety of patient isolation units such as those disclosed in EP 0619108A1 and JP 06-078959A have been suggested.
A patient isolation unit disclosed in EP 0619108A1 has a disposable envelope in which a patient is isolated. Filter means through which air passes has a frame welded to sheet portions surrounding an opening of the envelope so that the filter means needs to be discarded together with the envelope. Furthermore, no specific consideration is given for convenient transportation and storage of the unit.
The isolation unit in EP 0619108A1 involves cost increase since the filter means with a high efficiency particulate air filter (HEPA filter) must be discarded whenever the disposable envelope is disposed or discarded. Furthermore, since the unit needs to be transported in a state of being fully assembled, the unit is hard to handle and requires a larger space for storage.
JP 06-078959A has a foldable frame body from which an envelope is hung. However, no specific consideration is given to convenience in transportation of the frame body in the folded state.
Thus, the unit disclosed in JP 06-078959A may be transported more easily than that disclosed in EP 0619108A1. Nevertheless, the former is still inconvenient in terms of its need to transport the frame body in a state of being lifted up.
The present invention was made in view of the above and has its object to provide a patient isolation unit whose filter means does not need to be discarded every time an envelope is discarded so as to have a longer life and which can be easily transported in the folded state and can be readily stored.